After a senator is convicted of corruption and apparently kills himself, Falco is hired to prove that the death was murder. The distinction matters because suicide would affect the financial rewards and penalties owed to the professional accusers.
Falco and Helena investigate the senator's heirs, advocates and enemies within a legal system where prosecution can be profitable. Competing wills and concealed poison expose the interaction between family inheritance and courtroom ambition.
Roman law makes the case financially complicated because successful prosecutors can profit from convictions and confiscations. Falco must determine whether the dead senator was murdered, driven to suicide or used by accusers who understood how to manipulate the courts for gain. The investigation exposes a legal culture in which public morality and private enrichment can be difficult to distinguish.
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